Litho...What?

Lithography is a method for printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface. By contrast, in intaglio printing plate is engraved, etched or strippled to make cavities to contain the printing ink. Lithography uses oil or fat and gum arabic to divide the smooth surface into hydrophobic regions which accept the ink, and hydrophilic regions which reject it and thus become the background. Invented by Bavarian author Alois Senefelder in 1796, it can be used to print text or artwork onto paper or another suitable material. Today most high volume texts are produced using offset printing with machine rollers and fast drying ink. The handmade older technique which I use is all hand done the pressing being the only machine used. This technique is slowly losing its popularity as technology advances.